Narrator's POV:
Alone in the practice room, Jimin sat there with his brow furrowed with exhaustion and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. Beside him, his phone buzzed persistently, casting a flickering light on the surface, revealing the caller ID as 'Mr. Park' instead of the usual 'Dad.' Jimin's fingers twitched with frustration as he stared at his reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror opposite him. He was feeling powerless and helpless right now. With a mixture of irritation and curiosity, he grabbed the phone. As he prepared to hurl it across the room in a fit of anger, the caller ID flashed 'Amber.' His hand froze mid-air, and he hesitated, a flood of conflicting emotions washing over him.
"Hello, Jimin," the sweet feminine voice said from the other side, surprisingly calming him down.
"Jimin, where the hell are you? You said you would be finished with your practice by now!....stop irritating me taehyung." he heard Taehyung's voice in the background.
"No, I won't, peasant."
"Stop calling me that... Jimin! Hey, that's my shake."
"But now it's mine."
"Get your own, will you!" The playful bickering between his friends brought a smile to Jimin's face.
"I'll be there," he said, though he knew Amber likely didn't hear him amidst the banter. But he felt lighter now. Jimin got up from the floor, packed his bag, and left the practice room to meet up with his friends.
Amber's POV:
"You are a complete menace, Kim Taehyung!" I shouted at him as he continued to ruffle my hair and steal my food. I wondered if he was actually royalty or just pretending. Just then, I spotted Jimin making his way towards us. I waved at him to get his attention in the not-so-crowded cafeteria, and he smiled faintly before joining us.
"Where were you?" I asked him as he approached.
"Practice lasted late," Jimin replied, settling down beside Taehyung.
"It's not good to make your prince wait. Don't you have any manners?" Taehyung teased, earning a playful eye roll from me. I waited for a comeback from Jimin but it never came. Something seemed off about him - he looked... sad?
Jimin noticed my concerned expression and broke the silence.
"Nothing is wrong with me. I'm just not in the mood for a comeback," he explained, surprising me. Did he just...?
"No, I don't read minds. It's just written all over your face," he added with a faint smile.
"What's with this secretive conversation you two are having?" Taehyung interjected, somewhat offended. Then, with dramatic flair, he gasped, "This is high treason!"
"Shut up," Jimin and I said in unison, causing Taehyung to pout.
"Okay, okay. Now tell me, where are we doing this project anyway? Our apartment?" I asked Taehyung.
"No way, not in that dingy apartment. Yeontan's room is bigger than that," Taehyung retorted.
"Hey, our apartment is not dingy. It's clean and tidy." Jimin defended.
"Right, and cozy, and... Many more things." I dismissed.
"We're doing the project at my house. Oops, sorry, MANSION," Taehyung announced, triggering memories that gave me goosebumps.
Just then, my phone dinged with a notification from Yoonji. "Okay, I gotta go. Yoonji is calling me," I informed them.
"I'll text you the address and time. Be there, peasant. We'll start from tomorrow," Taehyung instructed me.
I waved at them and dashed towards the café exit.
Jimin's POV:
And off she goes in a hurried manner, almost bumping into someone and slipping on the floor. I chuckled while watching her and kept my gaze fixed until she was out of sight. There's something about her. I can't explain what but there is. Sometimes she makes me wonder how is she even surviving until now with all this clumsiness. But that is who Lee Amber is I guess.
"Is someone in l-o-v-eeee," Taehyung teased in a sing-song voice.
"What nonsense," I replied, annoyed.
"Then why do you keep looking at her?"
"What about you inviting her to your house?"
"Oh, that's just for the project."
"Liar. Apart from us, you never invite anyone to your house. And don't give me that 'my parents don't like that' lame excuse. Your parents are chill."
"It's just..." Taehyung began, searching for an explanation. "I don't know, the peasant gives me good vibes. And seriously, I won't be doing the project at your tiny apartment."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, really."
We both started laughing for no reason, which drew puzzled looks from the others.
Next day:
Narrator's POV:
"I'll be going now, you two," Amber said, slipping on her shoes and grabbing her bag.
"Should I drop you off?" Jungkook offered.
"Thanks, Jungkook, but I'll be fine," Amber replied with a smile.
"Are you sure? I mean, it's quite far to his house. Don't get lost or anything," Jimin asked, concerned.
"Of course not, I'm not a child. You guys don't have to worry about me," Amber assured them though they weren't entirely convinced.
"Okay, if you say so," Jungkook said reluctantly.
"Bye, guys. I'll text you if I get late," Amber said as she exited the apartment.
Jungkook and Jimin watched her leave, standing in front of the door for a few moments. Finally, Jungkook broke the silence.
"Hyung?"
"I know, Jungkook. I know."
"Hyung, she's boarding the bus."
"I can see that. Let's go."
Concerned about Amber's safety on her first trip alone to Taehyung's house, Jungkook and Jimin decided to follow her discreetly in disguises to avoid angering her. They both wore simple hoodies to blend in with the crowd, with Jungkook wearing a mask and Jimin opting for a beanie and a mask.
"But, hyung, do you really think we should be doing this? What if she finds out and gets angry?" Jungkook asked nervously.
"That's why we're in disguise. Besides, she can't even go to the nearest convenience store without tripping at least once. You expect her to go alone to his place? Remember the time she almost got hit by a car?" Jimin reminded him. With that being said, Jungkook had a flashback making him agree immediately.
"Hyung, the bus is leaving!" Jungkook pointed out, prompting them to run towards it and board just in time. Fortunately, Amber sat at the back with her earphones in, completely unaware of their presence.
Thirty minutes later, the bus reached its stop, and Amber got off, still oblivious to the two men following her. Consulting the address on her phone's map, she started walking towards Taehyung's house. She was so engrossed in following the map that she didn't notice a large puddle in her path. Jungkook sprang into action, taking wide steps and stepping into the puddle himself to prevent her from stepping in it.
"Oh my, are you okay? Your pants are all soiled," Amber asked, concerned.
Jungkook simply nodded and walked away. Amber shrugged and continued on her way. Meanwhile, Jungkook rejoined Jimin.
"Why did you jump in yourself? You could have just pushed her a little." Jimin said.
"There wasn't enough time," Jungkook replied sheepishly. "Look!" He pointed out as Amber almost walked into a low-hanging branch. Jimin quickly reached the branch and purposefully got hit by it.
"Ow," He mumbled, rubbing his head.
"Are you okay, mister?" Amber asked, concerned. His eyes widened, and he quickly ran away.
"Strange," Amber muttered, watching him flee.
Jimin rejoined jungkook while still rubbing his head.
"Hyung?"
"Not a word," He warned Jungkook.
Before they could even took a rest, a little further ahead, they saw two men attempting to approach Amber with flirtatious intentions. Before they could get to her, Jungkook and Jimin swiftly ushered them into an alley. Amber turned at the sound but saw no one there and shrugged before continuing on her way.
(Inside the alley):
"Hey, man, what's your problem?" one of the men demanded, annoyed.
Jimin approached them calmly but assertively, with Jungkook standing beside him, adding an air of authority.
"It looks like there's been a misunderstanding. That young lady is a friend of ours, and we would appreciate it if you respected her space," He said firmly.
"We would prefer if you kept your distance," Jungkook added calmly.
"Hahahaha, don't meddle in our business, you two," one of the men retorted, grabbing Jimin's collar.
Jungkook and him exchanged a glance, and the next moment, both men were seen limping and bruised as they exited the alley from the other side, while Jungkook and Jimin remained unscathed.
Throughout the journey, both of them exchanged silent glances and hand gestures to coordinate their efforts, hitting themselves here or slipping there, making sure Amber remained safe.
Finally, Amber reached Taehyung's house. They sighed with relief but then heard laughter behind them. They turned around to see Taehyung standing there, laughing heartily.
"Hahahahahahaha, I knew it! You two were following her, so I followed you to see what drama I'd witness. I must admit, it was the most entertaining show I've ever seen," Taehyung said between laughs, clutching his stomach.
Jungkook and Jimin exchanged one final glance and...
"Ahhhh! Who beats someone this mercilessly? If this were years ago, you'd be in the dungeons for beating your prince like that. Ahhhhh, eomma, it hurts," Taehyung cried, lying on the ground dramatically.
"We didn't even hit that hard. Now get up already; she must be waiting," Jimin said, paying no heed to Taehyung's theatrics.
"Next time, send a car to fetch her," Jungkook suggested.
"And don't you dare tell her that we were following her, or else..." Jimin cracked his knuckles while saying so, and Jungkook did the same.
They both started walking back towards their home. Just then, a notification popped up on Jimin's phone. He read it and grimaced.
"Kook, I need to go somewhere. It's urgent. You go first, and I'll follow you."
"Is everything fine? Should I come with you?" Jungkook asked, concerned.
"No, everything's fine. I just need to run an errand. You go."
"Okay, call me if you need my help."
"Yeah, stay safe."
"You too."
Jimin watched as Jungkook headed towards the bus stop. Then Jimin turned around and dialled a number.
"I'm coming."
A/n: what do you think about Jimin and Amber's relationship 👀?
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Lots of love 💜